People often assume that all seminarians will become pastors. While that may be a safe and accurate assumption for a majority of those passing through the gates of academia and up the steep steps of ministry preparation at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, it is not the particular case for one current middler student from Washington D.C., Karyn Bigelow.
For her, to be called to work in ministry is to be a servant of God and the people. Karyn is committing herself to the work of God’s will, a personal reflection on a verse she keeps close to her heart, 1 Corinthians 4:1. “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.” Karyn’s ministry calling is to help women in need, specifically to have a pure heart.
“I want every woman to know God intimately, and for her to let God work on her the same way God does for me,” says Karyn.
Karyn felt as though she was one of the last people to be able to speak on the subject since she did not grow up with the best examples. Karyn was born to teenage parents. She did not attend church and though the people who surrounded her were believers, their lifestyles did not reflect Christ. But slowly, through the influence of friends in high school and college, she grew to have a relationship with God, and upon giving up control to God she gained fervor to seek God completely and learned more of God’s will for her life.
To fulfill her call, Karyn started her own organization, launching a website (www.staypure33.com) devoted to connecting women to the church and within the church to strengthen the bonds between them all in order to strive together to achieve pure and holistic lifestyles—spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally.
Yet Karyn could feel more was needed, and so she followed God’s call to attend seminary, for a deeper understanding of the Bible and other tools needed to gain disciples for the Kingdom.
Written December 2013